


The Cure For Anything

by FivePips



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 18th Century, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Canon-Typical Violence, Gay Pirates, M/M, Minor Character Death, Period Typical Attitudes, Pirates, Revenge, Romance, Sailing, Some non period typical attitudes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24110140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FivePips/pseuds/FivePips
Summary: Remus Lupin wants to be a writer, but is completely uninspired. Even when Captain Sirius Black offers an out, he turns it down. Marlene's antics end up pulling him into something that not only gets him on The Marauder, but also into a mission of revenge.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 42
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Jenn for the beta and title help!
> 
> This will be updated once a week, with a possible bonus update depending how far ahead I've written.

“You want to write the next great novel, Lupin, but you have no inspiration and no topic and no funding? It sounds like you’re going to be working for Dumbledore at the counting house.” Peter gave a laugh that sounded as if it started deep in his chest.

“Maybe I don’t have these things because I am stuck at the counting house.” He sipped the whisky that had been set in front of him by the pretty barmaid. Not that he would be able to ever leave the counting house with no money.

The story seemed to be itching under his skin, waiting to get out but nothing was making connections in his head. Characters, setting, plot, and scenes seemed to flit through his mind in flashes, but would disappear when he sat to jot down his thoughts. It was as if the blank paper sent the ideas scattering, scared to be let out and freed onto the page. It was exhausting to keep attempting, but Remus was determined to one day write about the most fantastic situation that he could dream up. He wanted to reach the souls of--

“MARLENE! YES, DARLING, YES, WHISKIES ALL AROUND FOR THE CREW!” A man’s voice broke over the din of the pub.

Remus’ eyes danced over the crowd to see a group of very rough looking men. Pirates— privateers, whatever they were. Living in the seaside town of Godrics brought all sorts like them. Their skin tanned from being at sea and working long hours in the sun. Their hair, if they had any, kept under tricorne hats or salt curled hair tied back with rope or ribbon or hidden under a scarf. The group stood out from the pub’s usual, but the McKinnons didn’t mind as they spent endless amounts in food and spirits.

The loudest of the group gathered around some tables close to the bar, the man who seemed to be their ringleader was making the most noise. He looked like something that walked out of a painting. Remus had seen him around before, and each time he caught his eye. He was tall with sharp eyes and a smirk of a smile. Dressed in deep purples and greens, and a peacock feather in his cap, he stood out from the rest. The bit of roughness was there, but there was also some sort of posh look, as if he didn’t belong with this rag tag group, with the exception of a man with darker skin and glasses and terribly messy hair.

“They’re rather loud, aren’t they?” Peter nudged Remus in the side. “Pirates, amazing they let them into the establishment. I did hear a rumor about Marlene, she’s got her eye on one of them.”

Remus raised an eyebrow, looking around the group. Marlene worked at the pub with her brother and parents. She was stunning with her blonde locks, always wearing nice clothes. The gossip in the town always revolved around where such beautiful fabrics for her frocks came from, and if she was being courted by one of these sort of men then they would no doubt be able to nick some from their bounty.

“That’s interesting.”

“Maybe you could write about a pirate love story?”

“It sounds like something that would never get published.” Remus scoffed at the idea of it, who would find a love story interesting? Nor did he probably possess the ability to write about love as he had never been in love.

“You could change the whole world with it.” Peter drained his glass before setting it down with a thump. “That’s it for the night. I told Mary I’d be home for supper. Do stop by soon, she misses you.”

He nodded as Peter stood up. “I will, I’ll come round for dinner next week?”

“That sounds perfect.” He patted Remus on the shoulder. “‘Til then.”

Remus bid him goodbye before his attention was sent back to the pirates. They could make an interesting story, but maybe not a tale of romance. Something with more action and adventure to it. More Robinson Crusoe and less Evelina. For a moment he let himself get lost in the imagery of being at sea, with the foaming white caps and the pink and golden hues of the sun setting below the horizon.

“Can I buy you a pint, mate, looking rather lost.” A voice drew him back to the present in the pub instead of in the deck of a ship.

“I…” He lost his thought once more when he looked up to see the pirate with the peacock feather hat in his head. If being queer wasn’t a criminal offense Remus would have outed himself at that moment. This man, this very good looking man, was asking him about a drink. “No thank you, just about to finish up.”

The pirate nodded, biting his lip for a moment. “You were very deep in thought, thought I’d offer a pick me up is all.”

Remus nodded, feeling flustered for a moment. “Yes, of course.” He cleared his throat. “I do appreciate it, but I have to be wide awake early.”

“Ah, working must be a terrible bore.” He sat down in the chair Peter had been in only moments ago without even asking if it was okay.

“I’m sure your work is deadly exciting.”

A smile curled over the man’s features. “It is, indeed.”

“What do you do then?”

“Sail looking for boats in the wrong places, you know, piratey things.” He waved a hand and rolled his eyes. “Not as exciting as the man who is running out of here to get to work at dawn it seems.”

“Sadly, needs must and my job requires a schedule.”

“As does mine… maybe just a little different than when the best time to be on the water is or when we have to make it to the next port of call.”

“Yes, just a bit different.” Remus took a sip of his whisky, wondering why this man had come over to speak with him. Maybe he found people that had regular old jobs interesting. “I just work at a counting house.”

“Ah, do you? Do you like it?”

“It’s not what I’m the most interested in.” Remus sat back.

“What are you most interested in then…”

“Remus.”

“My name’s Sirius, pleased to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and Remus shook it before Sirius scooted a little closer. “Now, what is your wildest dream?”

He laughed again, still unsure why this person was talking to him. “I’d like to write a novel about adventure, but I’ve not found inspiration for it just yet.”

“Maybe it’s from working at the counting house? Not a lot of action in your life, I presume.”

“No, none at all, actually.” Remus mused on the fact that this was the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. Talking to a pirate in a pub could probably be the most interesting thing that happened in his whole life. That was a very upsetting thought to have because he had nothing to show for his life.

“You should join us.”

Remus’ eyes widened. “What?”

Sirius grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, you could document our lives. I’m sure it’d be fascinating.”

“I couldn’t just walk on to a ship, I’ve never sailed in my life.”

“As Captain, I can make the choice. All you’d need to do is write as you pleased. It would be brilliant.”

This was officially the oddest interaction, Remus didn’t know what to think or say. He certainly wasn’t going to be throwing everything away to run off with a group of pirates. “Thanks for that, but I don’t think it’s possible.”

“A fair bit of impulsivity never -- no, that’s a lie, but you should give it a try. I’m sure that you can find another boring job when you get back. Or maybe you’ll fall in love with the sea.” Sirius adjusted his cap.

“As interesting as it may be, I don’t think that it’s possible.” Remus polished off the rest of his drink. “I’ve got to get going now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sirius.”

“I’ll see you around, I’m sure. We’re here for about a week then it’s off to the Carribean.”

Remus stood up. “Enjoy it.”

“Oh, I will.”

***

After that night, Remus couldn’t stop thinking about Sirius and the rest of the pirates. They were intriguing. The fact that Sirius, the Captain of the ship, offered to let him just tag along threw him through a loop. The man was so calm and relaxed, acting as if the whole idea was not world changing for Remus. He couldn’t understand why Sirius would even ask him to come along anyhow. Who on earth did that type of thing? Pirates, it seemed, and Remus was not a pirate.

Remus thought he would never meet Sirius again, and if he saw him they wouldn’t make conversation. They were just two ships passing in the night, as it were. The two had nothing in common, so it was shocking that Sirius wanted to even chat with him to begin with.

That was what Remus thought until a few days later. He was walking home from his job, lost in his own head. Remus had jotted some notes down about what he could write about, if he chose to write a high seas adventure. No characters or plot had formed, but he was starting to feel hopeful.

“Remus, hello again.” A deep voice rumbled behind him.

He turned on his heel to find Sirius, without his peacock feather hat. The waves in his long hair were more sleek and tamed. “Sirius, hello.”

“Have you thought anymore about joining us?” Sirius fell into step with him.

“No because it’s not going to happen.”

“Think of what you could write! First hand experience!” He threw his hands out. “It’ll be better than any book out there.”

Remus laughed, watching Sirius speak with such animation. He seemed to bubble over with personality and movement. “I don’t think it’s really possible.”

“Ah, everything is possible, Remus.  _ Everything _ .” He put his hands on his hips. “Believe me, you can make anything happen if you try hard enough.”

“Maybe if you have enough privilege and money and opportunity offered,” Remus retorted.

“Yes, and the opportunity is staring you in the eyes.”

“Yes, but I need to make sure I have money and a place to live when I return. I’m not going to be on a ship the rest of my life. Why are you so interested in getting me to go sailing?”

“Because I can tell you’re looking for something more. You lit up when you spoke about writing.”

Remus frowned as they got to his building, stopping on the pavement out front. “I do appreciate your offerings, Sirius, but I have to be sensible and work.” No matter how interested Remus was in the idea of boarding a pirate ship and experiencing life on the ship, he had to be level headed.

“It’s a pity that you won’t be joining us, you would have a good time with my crew.”

“You hardly know me,” he scoffed.

“I can tell.” Sirius shrugged. “Well, I’ll let you get to whatever it is you need to do.”

“Thank you again, Sirius.”

Sirius bowed a little to Remus. “Have a lovely evening, Remus. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

Remus watched Sirius stride off, thinking about following after him just for a moment before turning to go inside.


	2. Chapter 2

The day was bright and the air wasn’t as thick as it had been the last few days. The dead of summer was always stifling here in Godric’s, even with the nice ocean breeze many days the air was too heavy for the breeze to fix. Today was a day for the books, Remus thought to himself. He was happy for the weekend, so he could take his time at the market by the port. Maybe after he’d sit on the rocks with some fruit, just soaking up the warmth of the sun. Then after he could go home and attempt to write.

It had been over a week since he had a run in with Sirius, the pirate captain who seemed set on getting Remus on his ship. Avoiding the pub, Remus spent most of his time in his dreary flat, staring at the blank pages trying to force words out; stringing together useless phrases that had no real plot to meld them together. No characters could be built, no new worlds sprang to his mind. Maybe Sirius was right about him not having enough experience to pen an adventure.

Breaking him out of the sulk about writing, Marlene’s light voice floated to his ears. “Remus, hello,” she greeted,as she seemingly appeared out of nowhere. She was wearing a deep purple dress and her hair was set perfectly as it always was. For a pub owner’s daughter, she always looked so expensive.

“Hello, Marlene.” He smiled, looking up ahead at the crowd milling about in between the stalls stretched out before them. Remus enjoyed talking with Marlene, she was very sharp and always had the best insights into the daily lives of the people of Godric’s. “It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it?”

“Stunning!” She seemed thrilled to be out in the sundrenched afternoon. “I haven’t seen you around Hogshead, where have you been? Captain Black hasn’t scared you off, has he?”

Remus snickered because there was Sirius popping up again. “No, he was perfectly kind.”

“Oh,” Marlene said with a furrowed brow as they lingered at a stall selling soaps for a moment. “Well, he’s back at sea today, so no matter if you thought he was kind or terrible, he’s not going to be around any longer… for the time being at least.”

There was a sudden surge of regret twisting in Remus’ chest. Should he have taken Sirius’ offer to jump on the ship? That was a ridiculous thought. He chided himself for even thinking about giving in to the impulsivity. He’d never be able to make it on a ship, and if he failed at getting inspired then he’d be left with nothing. No job. No money. No prospects.

“Hmm…” Marlene trailed off, looking up ahead.

“What is it?” Remus tried to follow her eye-line but the area was so busy it was hard to tell what she was looking at.

“I just thought I saw… just something strange.” She glanced around, starting to move through the crowd.

Remus trailed after her, wondering what had caught her attention. Her steps were short and quick as the hem of her dress brushed against the dirt underfoot. “Strange as in, what?” He hurried to keep up with her.

Marlene slipped by a group at a fisherman’s stall. “Some shifty looking men sneaking down that alleyway.” She pointed ahead.

“And what are you going to do about it?” He caught back up to her, breathing heavily. Christ almighty, she was fast for someone much shorter than he was.

“Well, see what they are doing to start with.” She stood up straight. “Then we’ll go from there.”

“Marlene, shouldn’t you leave this for—”

“The corrupt sheriff? I think not. Someone has been stealing wine lately, driving up the prices for the pub,” she explained as they broke out of the crowd.

Remus could see some shadows down the alleyway, but he couldn’t make out what was happening. “And what are you going to do about it?”

Marlene stopped, yanking Remus out of view of the entrance to the alley. “What’s wrong with me? I’m just a girl in a dress? I can’t--”

“I’d be saying this to anyone, including the pirates who frequent the pub.” He shook his head. “This isn’t our business. We could get--”

The words never made it past Remus’ lips. The world went black, and faded away.

When Remus came to, everything sounded muffled and his ears were ringing. He blinked a few times, trying to piece together what had happened to him. As his surroundings came into focus, all he saw was wood. The wall in front of him was lined with barrels and boxes, all looking nondescript. It felt as if the world was rocking. When his hearing became less muffled he could hear shouts and the wood creaking. Where on earth was he?

On top of this all, his arms and legs were bound. This made him unable to move besides wiggle a little. The air was stifling wherever it was he was being kept, it was as it was sitting on his chest. He was sweating through his shirt and waistcoat. Whether it was the heat or his head wound, which was causing his skull to ache, something was making him woozy.

“Bloody fuck!” Marlene’s voice made him realize he wasn’t alone.

He attempted to shift to look at her without turning his head, but he was unable to do so. “Where are we?”

“On a ship, Lupin, keep up.” She huffed, struggling against the ropes. Her usual well kept hair was in disarray and her dress was all rumpled. “It’s the bastards stealing the wine!”

As she struggled, Remus closed his eyes. He was on a fucking ship against his will now? Maybe if he took up Sirius’ offer then he wouldn’t have been in this situation. He didn’t understand what the situation really was, anyhow. “Marlene, how much do you actually know about these people?”

“A fair bit. I may have been following them around for a while.” Her heel connected with his shin, making him forget about the pain in his head just for a moment.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, just trying to get out of these ropes!”

Remus nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. “You’ve been following criminals?”

“Yes, Remus, I’ve been following criminals.” Marlene kicked him again.

“Marlene!” He opened his eyes again to cast a glance at her sideway.

“That one was on purpose. Keep up. You’re a smart man.”

“With an apparent head injury,” he muttered as his eyes slipped closed again.

How did he go from going to the market on a beautiful day to being apparently knocked over the head and taken away on a fucking pirate ship because Marlene McKinnon thought she needed to be some vigilante? They were not good enough friends for him to be dragged into whatever the hell was happening. What was going to happen to him now? Death was probably better than returning home to try and keep his job with an explanation of,  _ I’m sorry, sir but Miss McKinnon and I were kidnapped by pirates because she’s been spying on them _ . Though, that did make a good story…

“Sirius and his crew have been trying to track these people down.”

Remus cracked open one eye and turned his head to glance at her. “Really? And they haven’t found them? They should have just followed them down an alleyway.”

“Stop it with your sarcasm.”

He groaned, leaning his head back against whatever it was behind him. The rounded edges of it made him think of the barrel, which made sense. The wound on his head came into contact with the barrel, making him wince and readjust. It was getting more and more difficult to keep his eyes open and listen to what Marlene was saying. Even in the dim light of the storeroom or cabin, whatever the hell it was, he could tell that his vision was going fuzzy and his ears were starting to ring again. He really didn’t want die on a fucking ship.

“We’re going to be alright, Remus.” Marlene nudged his leg instead of kicking it. “How’s your head?”

“How’s yours?”

“It’s not great, but I’ll live.” She sounded as casual as she would serving him at the pub. “How’s your head, you never answered?”

Remus groaned. “Fucking hurts.”

“Oh, he swears. My, my Mister Lupin, in front of a  _ lady _ .”

Remus barely had enough energy to scoff at that. He swore plenty, but he just didn’t know Marlene well enough. Now was a better time than any to drop any sort of pleasantries. He didn’t have the energy to talk back, so he drifted back off to sleep… maybe not  _ sleep _ but a blissful place where he wasn’t sweating through his clothing and in agonizing pain thanks to the hit to his head.

Sometime later, Remus was woken by a thundering bang which seemed to rock the ship. He couldn’t be sure how long had passed, and had no idea what had made that damn racket. There were hurried steps on above them along with much more yelling and shouting. “What is going on?”

“I’m hoping it’s Captain Black and his crew.” Marlene’s hand landed on his shoulder.

He blinked then looked down to make sure he was feeling her hand on his shoulder and not going mad from heat exhaustion. “How did you get out of your ropes?”

Marlene’s face appeared in front of him, her hair was in even more of a mess than when he had looked at her earlier. She was free of any ties. “I managed to wiggle out of my wrist ones,” she spoke as she began untying the rope around his own wrists. “Probably worried about the dainty girl and assumed I’d never try to get out of them. Idiots, they really know nothing about women, do they?” Marlene scoffed as Remus’ wrists became free.

“Clearly an underestimation.” Remus rubbed one hand over the indents on his arm as Marlene went to work on the ropes on his ankles.

“You were out for a bit, are you feeling better?”

“Ah, queasy and dizzy and my head is still aching.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. Whatever happened, he hoped that he’d be able to be somewhere comfortable soon where he could rest his head.

“Well, hopefully we’re going to have some help in a bit.” Marlene looked up as the shouting and footfalls intensified.

The scraping, grunting, and screaming continued all around them for a while. The entire time, Remus tried his best to make out the noises to figure out what was occuring. With his headache causing his ears to ring, he couldn’t quite make out anything. Soon things fell quiet as there was a deep voice above, still muffled.

“I hope that’s a good sign.” Remus tried to push himself up to stand, but it just caused his world to flip upside down.

“Zounds, Remus, stay seated.” Marlene pulled him back to the ground. “Give it a few more minutes because you’re not very steady right now.”

“I’m not sure that I will be in a few minutes either.”

Closing his eyes again, Remus attempted to fend off the nausea that was now coming in waves. From the sounds of it, it appeared Marlene was pacing around the small area they were in. He kept his eyes closed even as there was movement above, but they opened quickly when his ears picked up on the sound of people coming closer. 

The footsteps approached the door before it flung open. In the doorway was Sirius with the peacock feather in his cap looking as smug as could be. Remus let out a long breath, happy to see a familiar face.

“Well, hello handsome. Hello Marlene. Fancy seeing you both here.”

Remus hardly comprehended what Sirius said as he stood up fast before his world went back again.


	3. Chapter 3

“Do you think he’s going to be okay?”

“It’d be a pity to save his life just for him to die.”

“He’s not going to die.”

“Well, he’s been in and out for hours now.”

“Not enough water.”

“Well, Dorcas, get more water.”

“You get more water, Potter.”

“Will you both stop?”

“You all sound like children.”

“As if you’re not as big of a child.”

“OH! He’s awake.”

Remus furrowed his brow, opening his eyes and blinking a few times to realize the four voices he had heard were not in his dreams as he thought for a few moments. No, he was there laying in a bed that was incredibly soft, in a room of dark wood with deep burgundy fabrics around him. It was hard to take in everything at once, as the new environment was overwhelming, and his day was like something out of a nightmare.

What he  _ could _ take in were the others in this room with him. Marlene was there, looking less frazzled now, wearing trousers and a loose white overshirt. Her hair was still a mess, but she was in less distress. Next to her was a taller, strong looking woman with long dreadlocs and dark skin. Remus had seen her in Godric’s before. Sirius was there without his cap, biting his lip as he stared at Remus with wide eyes. Then there was the last man who had been at the pub the other week with messy hair and a crooked smile.

Before anyone could speak again there was a squeak of a door opening. “Didn’t I tell you all to stop staring at him?” A new voice asked as Remus sat up in the bed against the pillows. Everything was a bit fuzzy, but he wasn’t as nauseous as before.

“We were making sure he was okay.” The man with the messy hair pointed at Remus.

“I think you all woke me with talking about whether I was going to live or not.” He rubbed his face before looking at the new person in the room. A shorter, stockier man with fair hair came forward.

“I bandaged your head, I’m sure it’s not relieving the pain, but they really did a number on you,” the man spoke in a calm, even tone.

“Are you a doctor?”

“No, he’s the cook.” Sirius came closer to the bed. “Don’t worry, he’s smart. I had a splinter that was terrible and he made sure the infection didn’t spread.”

“I’m Benjy.” He laughed as Remus grimaced. “I read a lot of medical books in my free time. Would be a doctor if I could afford it.”

“There’s a whole lot of books in his quarters, the other men he shares with complain there’s no room for them,” the woman with the dreadlocks explained. “I’m Dorcas, the sailing master.” Remus wasn’t sure what it was, but it sounded important.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Surely under different circumstances this would have been far more pleasant.” She huffed before looking towards the windows that lined one of the walls. “I need to go check our course.”

“I’ll come with you!” Marlene winked at Remus, which nearly made him ask what the wink was for, but the man with the messy hair came over to sit on the edge of the bed by Remus’ feet.

“I’m James, the Quartermaster. Sirius’ second in command.”

“Though it should be Dorcas,” Sirius scoffed before taking a seat next to Remus.

“Let’s play nice in front of the company, Sirius.”

Remus watched the two, who were now nudging at one another like little boys. Benjy seemed to appear from nowhere with a cup of water. “Here, you and Marlene probably sweat out all the water in your body.” 

He took the cup, drinking it eagerly.

“I’ll be down finishing dinner if I’m needed.” Benjy looked to Sirius. “Anything else you need, Padfoot?”

“No, we’ll be all right, Ben.” Sirius turned to Remus before the other man took his leave. “It seems as if I’ve gotten you on my ship after all.”

“It seems so.” He looked at the pewter cup in his hand, engraved with a gryffin. “I think the last day has given me enough to write about for at least one book.”

“Yes, smugglers and being hit over the head then being rescued by pirates.” James stood up. “It’s a good thing that those bastards were on our radar, huh? Marlene said she got you into that mess.”

Remus laughed, looking down to see that his shoes and stocking were off. Remus realized at that moment he was missing his waistcoat as well. He pulled his legs up against his chest, trying to find some comfort from the stress of the day. 

“I've got work to do. I’ll see you around, Remus.”

“Thank you.” He nodded as Sirius shifted once James stood up. “Thanks for saving my arse.”

“No worries!” James called before leaving the room.

“So, now you have all the time to write your novel.” Sirius gestured to the desk near the window. “It’s a wonderful view of the ocean. You’ll be able to discuss the depths of longing and vast emptiness of the high seas.” His voice was a little too cheery for what he was discussing.

“Ah, I was hoping that you'd drop me back at Godric’s. All my things are there, my job…” He set the cup down on the sideboard by the bed. Everything had been yanked away from him without him making the choice himself. He tried to remember the surge of regret that he had felt earlier in the day. Remus really did want to be here, deep down in his heart, but not under these circumstances.

“At our next port we’ll write a letter. Surely being abducted will explain it all away and if you need to I’ll speak with your boss.” Sirius waved a hand as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“My whole life is back in Godric’s.”

“No offense, Remus, but you don’t seem to have much there outside of a boring job.”

Remus sat back as if he had been slapped. “Thanks, mate.” He scoffed but he couldn’t tell Sirius he was wrong. Outside of work, Peter, and Mary, he didn’t have much. Life was generally a blur of work and attempting to write about things that never could get out of his head. It was still a place he called home, and he had some ties. Though his roots were not there since he grew up further north and far from the coast.

Sirius’ face fell as he went to go stand up, rubbing his hands down his loose trousers. “Shit, sorry, sorry. I’m just saying you seemed so bored back in Godric’s. I understand you need to get back, so if needed we can turn around. It’s up to you.”

So, he had an option, he could go home. “I assume I need to make the choice soon?”

“Yes, if we get much further then it could be ruining timelines. Dorcas will have my head if I tell her tomorrow or the next day we have to get back to Godric’s.”

Remus rested his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs. “You’re going to let me leave?”

He nodded, reaching for the cup. “Yes, of course. We’re not in the business of kidnapping, rather the opposite. I’m not a fan of making people do things.”

“Marlene wants to stay?” He wasn’t surprised if that were true, she was clearly in love with someone on the ship.

“Well, I think now that she has the chance to be with Dorcas…” Sirius trailed off as he moved to the table in the middle of the cabin, looking as if he was busing himself with nothing.

It clicked in his head immediately what Sirius was saying — it was Dorcas who Marlene fancied. That was what the wink was for. Remus blames his head for being so slow on realizing this. “You don’t mind them together?”

“It’d be rather hypocritical of myself.” Sirius kept his back to Remus, rifling through papers on the table.

“Oh.”  _ Oh.  _ Sirius was interested in men. Did he know Remus was? Was there a signal that he was giving off for others to know about his interest in men?

“I’m sure that’s unsettling, and if you’re not interested in being in a boat where it is perfectly fine to be as you are then it’d be better for you to go home.”

Remus thought about standing up and putting a hand on Sirius’ shoulder but the last time he stood it didn’t go too well for him. “I have no problem with it at all, or I would also be hypocritical.”

Sirius straightened up, but didn’t turn around. “Oh, good.”

He chewed at his nails for a moment, trying to listen to what his heart was saying. If his mum were still alive she would tell him to go, wouldn't she? Hope Lupin was always up for an adventure, and she always told Remus to follow his heart. Maybe Dumbledore would buy a story about him being kidnapped until his return to Godric’s. He could write Peter and Mary to let them know he was alive and well. For the next however long he could write about the world around him, construct a narrative based off of these pirates. Something could come of it.

“I’ll stay aboard.”

“That’s… grand.” Sirius cleared his throat, picking up a paper. “There’s not much space left though. So, I’ll bunk with James.”

Remus stretched his legs back out, his eyes feeling heavy once again. “Don’t be daft, stay here. I can bunk elsewhere.”

“You’re injured and need the bed.” Sirius turned back to him with his hands behind his back.

“Yes, but you’re the captain.” It didn’t feel right to be taking the man’s bed.

“I refuse to let you sleep elsewhere while injured. Look, you’re halfway asleep as it is.”

Remus fought his eyes from closing even though his head was pounding. “I refuse to let you sleep elsewhere, you’re the captain. This bed is large enough for the both of us.”

“Fine.”

“Brilliant.”

“Close your eyes and sleep more. I’m sure they’ll bring up dinner if you’re up for it later.”

Remus yawned into his hand. There was no use fighting it any longer. “Okay.” He shuffled down under the covers. If Sirius said anything else he didn’t hear as he was asleep nearly as soon as his head touched the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sdfjknjf sorry for not posting last week! I've hit a bit of slump writing this but I'm trying. I do have two more chapters done after this, so I may post every two weeks until my brain wants to get back into this. I'm sorry but enjoy some happy pirates!

It took a few days for Remus’ head to feel normal. During his recovery, it seemed as if the whole crew had cycled through the Captain’s Quarters as Remus rested up. They brought him food and offered him clothes and drink. Everyone seemed very eager to meet him, and James disclosed that they had to basically set up a schedule for them all to come see Remus. Sure that was rather strange, but they were all very nice for a group of rowdy sailors. Thanks to the number of men and women aboard along with his head injury, he couldn’t really remember what all their names were.

In between this stream of visitors, Remus napped and ate well. There didn’t seem much the boat didn’t have that he had back in Hogsmeade. The bed was far more comfortable than his own as well, even sharing with another person. Not that it was a chore to share space with Sirius. The captain of the ship was a courteous roommate -- and bedmate. He spent much of his time around the boat, doing whatever it was that captains did.

Yesterday, Remus went for a tour around the ship with Sirius and James since he was up for more than just a stroll over the deck. They both spoke so excitedly about the different parts in great detail. He wished that he had brought something to write down notes, but he also knew that Sirius would answer any questions that he had later. Plus, he would be able to explore more when he was able to begin writing.

Today, Remus had woken before Sirius, which was surprising as he had been sleeping so much with the wound to his skull healing. Remus took that as a good sign as he rose to look out the windows. The sun was beginning to peak out over the horizon, shimmering off the blue crests in fragments of yellow, orange, and pink. Prior to unwittingly joining the Marauder, Remus thought the emptiness of being at sea would bother him, but he liked the feeling. It was as if they were the only ones in the world. Some sort of utopia floating on the water.

It was rather a utopia in many respects. No one seemed to care for skin color or gender or who you loved. The tales about pirates being rough and mean were drowned out by this crew’s acceptance of all those aboard. They had no qualms of these things that Remus always thought shouldn’t matter as much as they did on land. It was a breath of fresh air, which Remus thoroughly appreciated.

“Well, you’re awake rather early,” Sirius said, his voice thick and groggy.

Remus looked over to the bed that was inset into the wall. The deep curtains were pulled back as they had been since Remus arrival, but Sirius had the blankets pulled up to his nose. His sharp grey eyes were squinting in Remus’ direction. “Yes, I’m even better today.”

“That’s fantastic news.” Sirius yawned, shifting a little and letting the blanket fall off his bare shoulders.

“Mmhmm.” Remus tried not to stare at Sirius’ arms, defined and tanned from working away in the sun. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that he found Sirius attractive, he always did since probably seeing him around Hogsmeade the very first time. Remus would have been in complete denial to say that he didn’t want to kiss Sirius.

“What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought.” Sirius bit his lip and attempted to fix his messy hair.

He looked back to the bed, his eyes falling to the portrait above the bed. It was Sirius from a different time with pale skin and a determined looked in his eyes. It was a painting that probably cost more than a little to commision. “Why do you have a portrait of yourself over your bed?” Remus changed the subject in his head of how attractive Sirius was.

“Where else should I hang it?” A playful grin played on Sirius’ face.

“I’m not sure.” Remus shrugged, trailing around the table covered in parchments.

Sirius stretched his arms above his head, Remus averted his eyes away from his body. It felt as if he was intruding suddenly. Though, maybe he wasn’t intruding. Sirius did call him handsome, didn’t he? He had approached Remus to begin with, maybe… “Remus, I understand we’ve known each other for a short amount of time, but we've been sharing a space for about a week. I think I’ve managed to know that you’re deep in thought.”

“You’re very perceptive.”

“I know.” Sirius sat up, the drowsiness seemed to be fading away. “So, what is it?”

“You called me handsome before I passed out, when you all got Marlene and I off those smuggler’s ship.” He could feel his cheeks were burning and probably all flush.

Sirius’ smiled as he leaned forward. “You remembered?”

“Yes, hard to forget when a pirate tries to chat you up whilst being in terrible pain.”

The smile faltered just a little. “Probably bad timing.”

“Not the best.” Remus ran a hand through his curls, a lightness fluttering in his chest. So, Remus was living on a ship after being captured by smugglers then saved by pirates, and the good looking captain fancied him? His life had taken a very strange turn in a short amount of time. Instead of resisting it, Remus decided to lean into it. “So, how did you know that I was interested in men?”

Sirius leaned back on his hands. “You’re not as subtle as you think.”

He chuckled before climbing back into the bed. “How’s this for subtle then?” Dropping away all inhibitions, Remus crawled into his lap, putting a hand on Sirius’ cheek.

“You’re bloody gorgeous,” Sirius sighed before closing the gap between them both.

Remus sank into the kiss, not remembering a time he could let himself enjoy something like this. In the past it was always so quick and mindless, but Remus was very much present. He relished in the feeling of Sirius’ fingers on his hips, rough and calloused from working on the ship. His rough hands didn’t match the portrait above the bed, or even the richness of the cabin.

“Christ.” Remus pulled back only enough to take a breath before pulling Sirius back in for another kiss.

Sirius let out an affirmative noise against Remus’ mouth as he deepened the kiss. Sadly it didn’t last long as the door flung open, causing Remus to spring back.

“Padfoot, we need to… oh, sorry to interrupt.” James’ voice had the slightest hint of laughter to it.

Remus rubbed a hand over his face, not looking at James. When he did drop his hand Sirius was preening as if he had just found the best bounty.

“What is it, Prongs?” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Dorcas wanted to ask you a question about our course.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Shit, I’m late.”

Remus looked to James finally. The man was looking at them both with something Remus would compare to pride.

“Right, leave you to it.” James slunk back out, leaving Sirius and Remus alone once more.

“I  _ should  _ go.” Sirius’ eyes drifted to Remus’ lips.

“Yes, you deviant, out of bed and leave me in peace.” He flopped onto his back.

“ _ Deviant? _ Me? You’re the one who crawled into my lap.”

“And you've been trying to get me to board your ship just to kiss you.”

Sirius fell quiet for a moment, biting his lip. “I promise that I didn’t just ask you to come along because you caught my eye. I could tell you were looking for something else. It was just plus that you’re so handsome.” He hand went to Remus’ forearm.

“I understand,” Remus spoke quietly, seeing the honesty on Sirius’ face. “I’d have gone home when you said I could if I really wanted to.”

“Good, I’m not trying to take advantage of you.”

“No, I don’t think you are. I was the one who crawled into your lap.”

Sirius leaned down, brushing his lips against Remus’. “That you did.”

Remus tired not to give into the pull in his chest, wanting to drag Sirius into another heated kiss. “You should go do youR Captain Things.”

“Mmm, yeah.” Sirius gave him a peck before rolling off of the bed. “Tonight, I’m going to kiss you until you’re melting into the bed -- if you’re interested.”

Letting out a sharp laugh, Remus rolled onto his stomach to watch Sirius dress. “I am a fan of melting into a bed, especially when I don’t have a major head injury.”

“That’s fabulous because I am also a fan.” Sirius pulled on a clean white shirt that hung loose around his neck, exposing his lovely collarbones and neck. “What are your plans for the day?”

“I think I’m going to try to write, maybe lurk about the ship.” He needed to get a better idea of how things worked. Getting to know the people on The Marauder was going to help him develop his characters, plus he wanted to get to know the crew better since he was now on this ship for the foreseeable future.

Pulling a belt on, Sirius looked around for his boots. “Lurk all you like, if you need more ink or parchment, let Dorcas know. She’s got a whole lot of it.”

Remus sat up as he nodded. “Anyone I shouldn’t bother?”

“Mmm, Moody can be a bit rough, but his bark is worse than his bite as they say. Caradoc looks like he can crush you, but he’s basically saccharine.” 

Remus vaguely recalled both men by the short descriptions because they stood out among the other sailors. “Moody is the one with the eyepatch, right?”

“Yes, and he has no eye under there,” Sirius pointed out before coming back to the bed in front of Remus. “It’s not a fashion statement.”

“Noted.”

“Okay, enough about eyepatches, I should go.”

“You should.” Remus looked up at him, very tempted to drag him down to bed and work on that whole melting into the bed right now.

“Stopping smirking at me like that.” Sirius bit his lip, placing his hands on Remus’ shoulders.

“I’m not smirking, you need to go, Sirius. You have work to do.”

Sirius grumbled even with a grin before he straightened up. “Fine, fine. Next time you make some sort of confession, can you do it when I have more time?”

“I’ll try.” Remus laughed to himself as Sirius swept out of the room, leaving Remus to himself.

_ Well _ , he needed to do something with himself instead of waiting around for Sirius because he was here for a reason. Writing was the main reason Remus chose to be on the ship, and now that he could stay awake for more than an hour at a time, he had to start working on this story.

Once he managed to drag himself out of bed, Remus set out to get something to eat from the kitchens. BenjI managed to make excellent food for the crew, and always saved some for Remus even though he was probably the last to eat. As they sat at the end of a long bench together, Benjy told Remus about how he ended up on the ship. Apparently he had owed money to someone or other because of some hard times, and was about to go to jail before James met him. Even though Benjy had never sailed before, they took him on without question. According to Benjy, Sirius and James had a habit of taking the strays in.

After his meal, Remus tried to find someone on the ship that didn’t seem too busy for him to be near. On the main deck crew members were working, pulling and tying up ropes. The redheaded twins, Gideon and Fabian if Remus remembered correctly, were scaling up the masts so quickly that he had to stop and look on. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to be up so high without any sort of safety net.

“Want to have a go?” James cleared his throat.

“Ha, no thank you.” Remus shook his head, dropping his eyes to look at him. “How are things?”

He gave Remus a knowing look. “Oh, just tried to get Sirius to focus for five minutes.”

“You don’t mind?” Remus asked, even though he said that no one minded here. It wasn’t the usual beliefs, so it was hard to understand.

“Why would I mind? Especially if Sirius is happy and not focused solely on revenge.”

His brow furrowed at the mention of the word revenge. “What?”

James’ eyes went wide, as if realizing he shouldn’t have spoken about whatever it was he had alluded to. “Nothing.”

“Revenge. What revenge?” Remus pressed.

“Just, something that we’re working on.”

“Which is revenge for…” He trailed off, looking around for Sirius.

James opened and closed his mouth, very much a fish out of water. “It’s nothing, nothing I should be telling you about at the very least.”

Even though Sirius told Remus he wasn’t subtle earlier, it seemed that James was much further from the word. What was going on?


End file.
